WhatsApp Head Will Cathcart to Step Down, Indian Founder Kunal Shah to Take Over

Will Cathcart, the head of WhatsApp, announced on Monday that he will be stepping down from his role after nearly seven years leading Meta's messaging platform. Cathcart stated that while WhatsApp is in a strong position, it felt like the right moment to step back.

Kunal Shah, founder of the Indian fintech startup Cred, is set to take over as the head of WhatsApp. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressed confidence in Shah, noting his experience in building Cred into "one of India's most important technology companies" and his "builder mentality and global perspective."

Zuckerberg added that he looks forward to working with Shah to continue improving WhatsApp for its billions of users and millions of businesses worldwide. Cathcart will remain within Meta's leadership ranks.

Cred, based in Bengaluru, aims to transform India's payments sector by offering a service that rewards high-earning individuals for timely credit card payments. Shah founded Cred in 2018. Before establishing Cred, he served as an investor and advisor to various startups in India and Southeast Asia.

In conjunction with Shah's appointment, Meta is making a strategic investment in Cred. Shah indicated that Cred has raised $900 million in investment from Meta, which would give the tech giant a 20% stake in the company, according to Bloomberg. Shah emphasized that while Meta will be a minority investor, it will not have access to member data.

This leadership transition coincides with Meta's efforts to expand WhatsApp's significant presence in India.